Jul 29, 2014

Thousands of Retailers From Throughout Southern California, Western Region Flock to Summer 2014 Gift Show

The July 18-21, 2014 edition of the California Gift Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center attracted thousands of attendees from throughout the dense, retail rich Southern California marketplace, as well as Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and other parts of the Western US. Drawn by the show’s expanded focus on all things ‘new,” these attendees had the chance to explore new resources unique to the California Gift Show, attend a full roster of educational programs full of new marketing and sales strategies, and take advantage of a number of new buyer services and show promotions .

“There’s little question that retailers come to market to see what’s new. That has been the driving force behind our efforts to revitalize the California Gift Show’s offerings and bring the Southern California marketplace the trend-driven, product rich showplace it deserves,” explains Doug Miller, president, Urban Expositions, which acquired the show in 2012. “In July, we launched a number of new show initiatives, attracted many new, first time exhibitors, including those offering products unique to the California Gift Show, and reestablished our co-promotional partnership with the LA Mart and California Market Center (CMC). Together, these efforts attracted the attention of retailers and vendors alike and we were very happy to see the return of customers who had not been to the show in a while, as well as first-time visitors.”

Among the new promotions included a special 3-day Urban Retail Marketing Bootcamp sponsored by SnapRetail that offered buyers the latest social media and marketing techniques to grow their business. This new series joined a full roster of other educational programs open to all registered attendees. Other new programs included a special promotional package for new, first-time exhibiting companies ensuring maximum pre-show marketing exposure through a series of promotional tools including special listings on show signage, on the show’s mobile app and “New Exhibitor” floor stickers outside their booths. In addition, the new 50/50 Giveaway invited buyers to show orders placed on the show floor for their chance to win daily prize drawings for $50 cash and $50 in merchandise credits to use with orders placed with exhibitors. The giveaway culminated on the last day with a grand prize drawing for a free two-night hotel stay at the next edition of the California Gift Show. The grand prize winner was Tanjia Mejia, Una Bella Boutique, Los Banos, CA.

The expanded promotional roster was backed by a versatile product selection including a growing number of first -time exhibitors, products unique to the California Gift Show, as well as companies who have returned to the exhibit roster.

Attending retailers had the chance to discover new resources and new introductions among a wide range of designs conveniently categorized into easy-to-explore sectors, including Gifts, Design LA, Handcrafted, Boardwalk, Personal Style, Jewelry (Cash & Carry), Vintage, World Style, Outdoor Living, as well as many Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly and Made in America resources.

“Finding unique, new products is why we come to Los Angeles,” said Sean Bradley, Tabula Rasa, Salt Lake City, UT. “We never miss the California Gift Show!”

“I was there from Friday through Sunday afternoon and found quite a bit to purchase,” added Sara Birmingham, Museum of New Mexico. “From Tesoros to Abrazo to Cielito Lindo, Sacred Threads and assorted others throughout the convention center – I was especially pleased with the selection of World Style and Fair Trade items.”

Exhibitors remarked on the new business they generated from the summer show. “The California Gift Show was the first tradeshow we’ve participated in – and we are now committed for life,” said Corrine Clements, Jarring Questions. “Even before the show opened, we added 27 new clients thanks to the pre-show marketing from Urban Expositions -we look forward to the next show!”

“This show has been a huge help to our business with a nice, steady flow of new customers,” said Kris King, Card Connect, Chicago, IL. “We are thrilled with the results.”

“We saw key customers that we hadn’t seen in 15 years,” said Eric Morrissey, Kubla Crafts, Inc, Charleston, SC.

The summer edition was also further strengthened by a unified marketing campaign with the LA Mart and California Market Center. “How the West Is One” put a spotlight on how the combined product offerings of the three venues create the largest gift and home market in the west. As part of the concerted effort to maximize the buying experience for attending retailers, the three venues honored each other’s admission badges and provided inter-venue shuttle service.

The next edition of the California Gift Show is scheduled for January 23-26, 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

EXHIBITOR/ATTENDEE INFORMATION

Visit www.californiagiftshow.com for the latest show news. For more information on exhibiting, contact Leanna John at 678.370.0330 or ljohn@urban-expo.com. For information on attending, contact Briana Mackey at 678.831.4573 or bmackey@urban-expo.com or Jhana Jordan at 678.370.0338 or jjordan@urban-expo.com.

ABOUT URBAN EXPOSITIONS

Urban Expositions is the largest gift, airport and souvenir trade show organizer in the U.S., hosting a total of 34 shows each year. In January of 1996, Urban Expositions launched the semi-annual Philadelphia Gift Show, which has become one of the largest and most successful regional gift events in the nation. Since then, the company has continued to grow through acquisitions and new show development. Based in Kennesaw, GA, Urban Expositions offers a complete roster of trade show management services, including exhibit sales and marketing, operations, exhibitor/ attendee promotions and services, media relations, seminar and event coordination, database development and management. For more information, visit http://www.urban-expo.com or call 800.318.2238.